Adjustable clamp



ug- 21 1962 w. J. LlTwlN ETAL 3,049,771

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP Filed Aug. 12, 1959 United States Patent Oiice 3,649,771 Patented Aug. 2l, 1962 3,049,771 ADEUSTABLE CLAMP Walter E. Litwin and oseph Eberhardt, Chicago, Ill.; said Eberhardt assigner to said Litwin Filed Aug. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 833,206 Claims. (Ci. 24S- 16) This invention relates to a novel holder, band or clamp.

A general object of the invention is to devise a novel self-locking holder, band or clamp in the form of a strap formed of ilexible plastic material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel clamp or holder for supporting wire cables aud the hke, said clamp having a buckle rbase portion with inwardly directed teeth which are engaged by outwardly directed teeth on a strap portion of the clamp, the strap portion being guided into and through the buckle by a novel arrangement of guide lugs which serve to strip the clamp from the mold assembly.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become more readily apparent from the specilication and the drawings, wherein:

FiGURE l is a plan view of the novel holder band;

FlGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the holder band taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the holder band; and

FIGURE 4 is an unfolded perspective View of the holder band.

Referring now to FIGURES 1-4 the clamp or holder generally designated '75 comprises an elongated strap 76 which is formed of ilexible plastic material such as nylon or the like and comprises a hanger portion or base 77 at one end, a fastening portion or buckle 78 intermediate its ends, and a fastened portion -or tongue 79 at its other end.

The base 77 is provided on its underside 80 with an outwardly directed nipple or anchor plug S1 intermediate its ends for attachment of the holder 75 and on its top side with an outwardly directed oval shaped retainer lug S2 which has attened sides S3 extending longitudinally ot the strap 76, the lug S2, being admitted into the elongated longitudinal slot 34 in the tongue 79 in tight engagement with the sides 85, 8S thereof which engage sides 83.

The tongue 79 is provided intermediate its ends with outwardly directed teeth 86 each of which has a diagonal ramp 37 sloping downwardly in a direction toward the free end SS of the tongue 79. The ramp 87 merges with ythe face 89 which extends substantially normal to the plane of the tongue 79, into the point or apex 9i). It will be seen that the longitudinal span of all of the teeth S6 is greater than the length of the buckle portion 78 which has side walls 91, 92 and an interconnecting outer or top wall 93 which is provided on its internal side with teeth 4 complementary to teeth S6 and in selective engagement therewith attendant to the tongue 79 being threaded through the buckle 78 and under Jthe spaced guide lugs 9S, 96 which project inwardly of the side walls 91, 92 adjacent the leading part 7d' of the buckle and engage their inner sides 97, 93 with the side marginal portions 1u@ and itil of the tongue 79 at opposite sides of the teeth 86 to facilitate drawin(7 and withdrawing the tongue 79 from the buckle '78, the said buckle 78 being underposed by a pair of retainer lugs 162 and 103 projecting inwardly from the side walls 91 and 92 of the buckle 78 into an opening 104 and disposed in the plane of the strap 76 beneath the teeth 86 so that upon drawing v the tongue 79 through the buckle 78, the wall 93 as well as the lugs 102 and 103 detiect outwardly of each other while the teeth 86, 94 wedge over each other the teeth 86 passing between the opposing surfaces 105, 106 on the inner ends 107, 10S of lugs 95, 96.

After the tongue 79 is admitted through the buckle 73 it is snapped onto the lug S2 by aligning the elongated slot 84 with the lug 82 and pressing the tongue 79 onto the lug 82, the position of the lug 82 in the elongated slot 84 being determined by the size of the loop portion 106 of the holder 75 containing associated wire cables '76.

To disassemble the holder 75, the tongue 79 is lifted oli the lug S2 and the buckle 78 is collapsed by pressing inwardly against the iside walls 91, 92 to at least partially disengage the teeth 86, 94 from each other and by pulling at the loop port-ion 106 which is adapted to hold the bundle of wires 76 or the like, and withdrawing the tongue 79 from the buckle 7S with coincidental deflection and partial separation of the teeth 94, 86 to provide for their escapement. By concentrating the pressure against the walls 91, 92 in the region of the lugs 9S, 96, these lugs are caused to move their inner ends 107, '108 (FIGURE 4) toward the tongue and away from the teeth 9d. The retainer lugs 162, 103 provide novel guide means and also they have suicient tlexibility to permit entry and exit of the tongue, The forward and rear underposed portions of the buckle 78 forming the fore and aft sides of the aperture 104 maybe considered lugs directed toward each in view of such opening 104 of the buckle 718.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various other forms will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A flexible holder comprising an elongated strip folded to provide a loop, said strip having a hanger portion at one `end for mounting on an associated support, a liexible buckle portion intermediate its ends having irst and second wa-ll pontions `delining a tongue passage, and a tongue portion at its other end extending through the buckle portion tongue passage in close titting relation between the wall portions and having teeth on one side, said buckle portion including advance guide means engaging said tongue portion and receiving said teeth therebetween for directing the tongue portion through the buckle portion tongue passage, and complementary interlocking means on the lirst buckle wa-ll portion including teeth thereon in the path of the teeth on the tongue portion, the second wall portion `delining an aperture in alignment with the teeth on the first wall portion and said tongue portion having a juncture with the second portion proximate t-he aperture, the width of the passage being greater than the width of the tongue por-tion to permit separation of the teeth with flexing of the buckle wall portion proximate the aperture.

2. A holder comprising an elongated strip folded to provide a loop, said strip having a hanger portion at one end for amounting on an associated support, a ilexible buckle portion intermediate its ends having a tongue passage, and a flexible tongue portion at its other end extend- J ing through the passage in close fitting relation thereto and -having teeth on one side, said buckle portion including advance guide means engaging said tongue portion and receiving said teeth therebetween for directing the tongue pontion through the passage, and interlocking means Eon the buckle portion including teeth thereon in the path and in complementary engagement with the teeth on the -tongue portion, the Width of the tongue portion being less than the Width of the passage to permit separation of the teeth with liexing of the buckle portion, and said buckle portion comprising releasable guide and holding means spaced from fthe interlocking means thereon and underposed ywith respect to said tongue portion and yieldably urging the teeth thereon into interlocking engagement with the teeth on the buckle portion.

3. A holder comprising a tongue, a hollow liexible buck-le having a pair of sides and top and bottom portions deiining a tongue passage therethrough, said top portion having tongue-engaging locking means directed into said pass-age, locking means on the tongue insertable with the tongue into the passage between said top and bottom portions in engagement with the locking means on the top portion and said bottom portion being exible toward and away from the top portion for holding and releasing said locking means on Kthe tongue with respect to said locking means on said top portion, said bottom portion being aligned with the top portion in the region of said locking means on said top portion, the distance between the closest portion of said locking means on the top pontion and the bottom portion being less than the depth of the locking means on the tongue, the Width of the bottom portion of said buckle being greater than the corresponding dimens'ion of the locking means so as to permit release of the tongue attendant to transverse dellection of the buckle, and said bottom portion comprising a pair of flexible lugs extending toward each other from respective side portions beneath said locking means.

4. A holder comprising a flexible tongue and a hollow buckle associated therewith, a pair of sides and top and bottom por-tions defining a passage therethrough for said tongue, said top portion having tongue-engaging locking means directed into said passage, a `locking member associated 'with the tongue and atleast said bottom portion being exible toward and away from the top portion for holding and releasing said locking member associated with the tongue with respect to said locking means, said bottom portion being aligned with the top portion in the region of said locking means, the distance between the lowest portion of said tongue-engaging locking means and the bottom portion of the tongue passage being less than the distance between the highest portion of the locking member associated with -the tongue and the lowest surface of the tongue, the width of the tongue passage being greater than the corresponding dimensions of the locking member so as to permit release of the tongue when flexed and said bottom portion comprising a pair of tlexi'ble lugs extending toward each other from respective side portions beneath said locking means, and guide means on said side Walls integral with Iaxial extensions ahead of said top wall for 4guiding the entry of an associated tongue portion into said buckle.

5. A holder comprising a liexible tongue and a buckle associated therewith, said buckle comprising a hollow structure having a pair of sides and top and bottom portions dening -a passage therethrough for said tongue, said top portion having tongue-engaging locking means directed into said passage, a locking member associated with the tongue, and at least said bottom portion being flexible toward and away -from the top portion for holding and releasing said locking member associated with the tongue from said locking means on the top portion, said bottom portion being aligned with -the top portion in the region of said locking means, the distance between the lowest portion of said tongue-engaging locking means and the bottom portion of the tongue passage being less than the distance between the highest portion of the locking member associated with the tongue and the lowest surface of the tongue, the width of the Ibottom portion of said tongue passage being greater than the corresponding dimensions of said locking member so as to permit release of said tongue when said tongue is flexed, and said bottom portion comprising a pair of iiexible lugs extending toward each other from said respective sides of said hollow structure beneath said locking means, and guide means integral with extensions of said sides and located in advance of said top portion for guiding the entry of said tongue into said buckle, said guide means including a pair of aligned exible lugs projecting from the said respective extensions toward each other and defining a guide passageway therebetween.

6. The combination of a flexible tongue and a ilexible plastic buckle associ-ated therewith comprising side and top and bottom portions quadrilaterally arranged and defining a passage for the tongue extending lengthwise of said side and top and bottom portions, said top portion comprising at least one inwardly directed -tooth and said tongue having a locking member tor locking engagement with the tooth, and said lbottom portion comprising a deectible support for the tongue for releasably holding said tongue in position holding said locking member thereon in engagement with said tooth, said buckle side portions movable toward each other upon application of pressure thereto with attendant outward bowing of said top and bottom portions to disengage the tooth from the locking member, and said side portions comprising a pair of lugs axially aligned and Ispaced apart the width of the tongue and said side portions spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the tongue to accommodate detlection of the side portions without deflection of the tongue.

7. A exible plastic holder comprising a base part, a tongue part and a buckle part on the base part providing a tongue passage, said tongle part extending from the base part and forming a hanger loop and projecting through the tongue passage, releasable interengaging means on the buckle part and Itongue part for securing the same together, said passage dimensioned to accommodate withdrawal of the tongue part from the passage upon transverse deformation of the buckle part with attendant separation of said interengaging means, and a lug on the base part projecting through an elongated slot in the tongue part and having sides tightly engaging the, sides of the slot, and said slot being elongated longitudinally of the tongue part and having an extent substantially greater than the corresponding extent of the lug to accommodate displacement of the tongue part to a plurality of positions.

8. A holder including a ilexible Itongue portion and a buckle associated therewith, said buckle having a passage therethrough for the tongue portion and including a wall portion along the passage, said tongue portion projecting through the passage generally parallel to the wall portion and providing -a holding loop, said tongue portion and wall portion having teeth interengaging with each other in the relaxed position of the tongue portion and buckle, the teeth on at least one of the portions being of less width than the wall portion, and said buckle being temporarily deformable transversely to the plane of the wall portion for deiiecting the wall portion away from the tongue portion, said passage dimensioned to disengage the teeth and accommodate withdrawal of the tongue portion from the buckle, said tongue portion having one end connected to the buckle and extending lengthwise generally parallel to said Wall portion, and said buckle including guide means engageable with the teeth on the tongue for guiding the same into engaging position with -the teeth of the wall portion incidental to threading the tongue through the passage.

9. A holder including a flexible tongue portion and a buckle associated therewith, said buckle having a tongue passage and a wall portion along the passage, said tongue portion projecting through the buckle generally parallel to the wall portion and providing a holding loop and said tongue portion and buckle wall portion having teeth interengaging with each other in the relaxed position of the tongue portion and buckle, the teeth on at least one of the portions being of less Width than the wall portion, and said buckle being temporarily deformable in a plane transverse to the wall portion for dellecting the wall portion away from the tongue portion, and said passage dimensioned to disengage the teeth and accommodate withdrawal of the tongue portion from the buckle, said tongue portion having one end connected to the buckle and extending lengthwise generally parallel to said wall portion, and said buckle having a pair of support and guiding lugs for the tongue for releasably urging the tongue into engaging position of the teeth thereon with the teeth on the wall portion and deflectible away from the tongue upon lateral collapse of the buckle.

10. A holder band including a ilexible tongue portion and flexible buckle associated therewith, said buckle having generally parallel top and bottom wall portions dening a tongue passage with an entrance and exit, said tongue portion having a free end projecting through the passage generally parallel to the wall portions, the top and bottom Wall portions having the distance therebetween substantially equal to the height of the tongue portion proximate the entrance and exit and having their thinnest sections in planes intersecting both portions and substantially paralleling the axis of the passage, and said tongue portion and top buckle wall portion each having a plurality of teeth, the teeth of said tongue portion engaging with the teeth of said top buckle wall portion in the relaxed position of the tongue portion and buckle, the bottom wall portion of the buckle having entrance and exit parts having their longitudinal planes lying generally parallel to the longitudinal plane of the top wall portion and being substantially more flexible than the top wall portion in a plane transverse to the axis of the passage and an aperture between the entrance and exit and in line with the teeth on the top wall portion, said entrance and exit parts supporting the tongue portion and holding the teeth of the tongue portion in engagement with the teeth of the top wall portion in the relaxed position of the buckle, the entrance and exit parts being deectable away from the top wall portion to disengage the teeth and accommodate movement of the tongue portion in the buckle, and the teeth on the buckle top wall portion being substantially in a common plane.

1l. A holder band including a flexible tongue portion and flexible buckle associated therewith, said buckle having generally parallel top and bottom Wall portions dening a tongue passage with an entrance and exit, said tongue portion having a free end projecting through the passage generally parallel to the wall portions, the top and bottom Wall portions having the distance therebetween substantially equal to the height of the tongue portion proximate the entrance and exit and having their thinnest sections in planes intersecting both portions and substantially paralleling the axis of the passage, and said tongue portion and top buckle wall portion each having a plurality of teeth, the teeth of said tongue portion engaging with the teeth of said top buckle wall portion in the relaxed position of the tongue portion and buckle, the bottom wall portion of the buckle having entrance and exit parts having their longitudinal planes lying generally parallel to the longitudinal plane of the top wall portion and being substantially more flexible than the top wall portion in a plane transverse to the axis of the passage -and an aperture between the entrance and exit and in line with the teeth on the top wall portion, said entrance and exit parts supporting the tongue portion and holding the teeth of the tongue portion in engagement with the teeth of the top Wall portion in the relaxed position of the buckle, the

entrance and exit parts being deectable away `from the top Wall portion to disengage the teeth and accommodate movement of the tongue portion in the buckle, and the teeth on the tongue portion being of less width than the tongue portion.

12. A holder including a exible tongue and a ilexible buckle associated therewith, the buckle having a pair of generally parallel longitudinal Walls defining a tongue passage, the walls having the distance between them substantially equal to the height dimension of the tongue and the tongue having a width less than the Width of the passage and projecting longitudinally through the passage generally parallel to the walls and providing a holding loop, one Wall having longitudinally extending entr-ance and exit portions being more highly llexible than the other portions of the buckle and defining an aperture between said entrance and exit portions, said entrance and exit portions engaging and holding the tongue `against the other wall in the relaxed position of the buckle, the tongue and buckle having teeth interengaging each other in line with the aperture in the relaxed position of the tongue and buckle, said entrance and exit portions of the one wall being temporarily deformable away from the other wall to disengage the teeth and accommodate movement of the tongue in the buckle during deilection.

13. A holder band including a liexible tongue and a flexible buckle associated therewith, said buckle having top and bottom walls and side walls substantially normal to the top and bottom walls and defining a substantially rectangular tongue passage therewith, the bottom wall having irst and second portions -being more highly flexible than the other portions of the buckle `and defining an aperture between the iirse and second portions, the principal planes of `said rst and second portions lying generally parallel to the principal plane of the top wall, the tongue having a juncture with one of the iirst and second portions and having a free end with a width less than the width of the passage projecting through the passage generally parallel to the top `and bottom walls and held in engagement with the top wall by the Ifirst and second portions in the relaxed position of the buckle, the buckle top wall and tongue having teeth interengaging with each other in the relaxed position of the buckle, and said rst and second portions being temporarily deformable transversely to the principal planes of the top wall for deflection of said teeth on the tongue away from the teeth on the top wall and accommodation of longitudinal movement of the tongue in the buckle during deflection.

14. A holder band including a lflexible tongue and a flexible buckle associated therewith, said buckle having top and bottom Walls and side walls substantially normal to the top and bottom walls and defining a substantially rectangular tongue passage therewith, the bottom w-all having entrance and exit portions being more highly exible than the other portions of the buckle and dening an aperture therebetween, the principal planes of the entrance and exit portions lying generally parallel to the principal plane of the top Wall, the tongue having a bottom surface and providing a juncture with the bottom wall and the buckle having a bottom surface substantially co-planar with the bottom surface of the tongue, said tongue having a free end having a width less than the width of the .passage and projecting through the passage generally parallel to the top and bottom walls and held in engagement with the buckle by the entrance and exit portions, the buckle and tongue having teeth interengaging with each other above the aperture in the relaxed position of the buckle and the tongue, said entrance and exit portions of the bottom wall being temporarily deformable transversely to the planes of the top wall for disengagement of the teeth on the tongue from the teeth on the top Wall and to accommodate longitudinal movement of the tongue in the buckle during the deflection.

15. The invention according to claim 14 and the side Walls projecting beyond the edge of said top Wall adjacent Ihe juncture.

References Cited inthe 111e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Schacht Jan. 14, 1908 Mellus Jan. 1, 1924 Fraser et al Mar. 1, 1932 Scribner July 4, 1933 10 Roehrl Apr. 12, 1949 Tinnerman Dec. 13, 1949 Lester Nov. 7, 1950 Hein et a1 Ju1y 8, 1952 Zeige July 14, 1959 Wrobel Dec. 1, 1959 Weckesser May 10, 196() De Bartolo Apr. 18, 1961 FORFGN PATENTS Australia Aug. 5, 1957 Italy Jan. 4, 1955 Switzerland Sept. l, 1948 

